Uchiha Ryuu
by BlackhopeEnigma
Summary: Sasuke and Hinata's youngest son has a hard time getting along with his father. He's different from his siblings and feels as though he'll disappoint his parents. Adding a sexuality and some jerk to that just seems cruel.
1. chapter 1

Dear Journal,

My name is Ryuu. I'm an Uchiha. I have two brothers, Neji and Itachi, and two sisters, Mikoto and Hanae. I'm the youngest. I'm also the most different. Neji and Hanae have sharingan and Mikoto and Itachi have byakugan. I have both and it's incredibly weird. My byakugan is red and my sharingan is lavender. My normal eye color is gray. My hair is relatively short and is black with natural subtle eggplant colored highlights. Neji and Itachi are 17, Mikoto is 19, and Hanae is 15, while I'm 12. Mikoto looks like father's mother only with my mother's hair and eyes. She's got the personality of uncle Naruto. Itachi looks like uncle Neji only with father's hair and mother's eyes. He acts like uncles Itachi most of the time, though. Neji looks like uncle Itachi without the stripes on his face and father's eyes. He acts like uncle Neji but acts like uncle Kiba when he's mad. Hanae looks like mother but acts like father and has father's eyes. Mother gave me this journal because she said that I need to confide in something if not a human being. I'll speak to you later. Dinner is ready.

-Ryuu

I close the book and walk down the stairs. It seems as though my siblings beat me to the table, as the only open seat left is next to father. I don't dislike my father, I just feel as though I disappoint him. I'm not strong like the others. Mikoto is great at gentle fist. Neji is amazing at fire jutsu. Itachi has chakra control. Hanae has stamina. I can't even make a fireball yet, and Uchihas learn that early on! Even Mikoto and Itachi can make fireballs! I wouldn't be surprised if father hated me. "Ryuu, you should eat. You've hardly touched your food." I flinch as father addressed me. "Y-yes sir." I also have my mother's old stutter. Men shouldn't stutter. I can feel mother's eyes on me. "What's the matter, Ryuu? Are you feeling alright?" "I'm f-fine mom. Just a b-bit uncomf-fortable." I finish eating my breakfast quickly, afterwards standing and putting my plate away. "Excuse me mother and father, I have to go meet up with my team." Mother waves to me, while father just nods. I sigh and leave after saying bye to my siblings.

No POV

Ryuu makes his way to the training grounds, only to be tackled to the floor. "Ha! Got you! Some Uchiha you turned out to be!" The obnoxious red haired green eyed Uzumaki boy laughs. "Shut up, will you? Geez Soba. You sure are loud." Soba frowns. "Whatever!" A white haired girl with bright blue eyes walks up to them, noticed by Ryuu but not by Soba. "Excuse me?" Soba jumps three feet into the air. "Holy shit! You don't just sneak up on people like that! What the hell Kotone?!" Kotone giggles. "Actually, we do. We're ninjas." Ryuu nods. Before they could discuss it any further, an older white haired ninja appears beside them. "She's right you know." Soba all but faints. "What the hell, Kakashi-sensei?! Not you too!" Ryuu snorts. "Some ninja you turned out to be." Kakashi gives his one eyed smile, before opening it when he feels a tug on his shirt sleeve. "Hm?" Ryuu looks away sheepishly. "C-could you...um...teach me chidori? None of my siblings know it and I want my father to be proud of me for something. If you can't, th-that's okay." Kakashi ruffles the youngest Uchiha's hair. "I'm more than happy to try. First we need to know your chakra nature." Ryuu frowns. "I-I'm fire and l-lightning like mother and f-father, aren't I?" Kakashi sighs. "You may or may not be. Chakra nature isn't exactly hereditary, although in your case it might be. In general, every person's chakra has an affinity towards one of the five basic nature transformations. Affinity can at times be genetic, or at least common to a particular family; most members of the Uchiha clan have an affinity towards the Fire nature. One's affinity can be determined using pieces of paper made from a special type of tree that is grown and fed with chakra: when the paper is exposed to even the slightest hint of chakra, it will react according to the chakra's latent nature," Ryuu nods. He knew most of this stuff. Kakashi continues, "if it gets crumpled, it's lightning. If it burns, it's fire. If it's wind, it's cut in half. If it's water, it gets wet. If it's earth, it'll turn to dust." Ryuu takes the paper, doing as instructed, and flinches when the paper crumpled up. He looks up at Kakashi with tears threatening to fall. "Does this mean I'm not an Uchiha?" Kakashi shakes his head. "Not at all, Ryuu. Shinobi have an easier time learning to create and control chakra natures that match their affinity, although even then it may take any number of years. Shinobi are not limited to the nature they have an affinity for, and it is in fact common for jōnin to have mastered two natures. Although it is technically possible to master all five natures, it is very rare because of how much of training is involved; Madara Uchiha, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, Mū, myself, and Orochimaru are the only shinobi known to have done so via normal means. There are indeed other ways to do so, but I'd rather not say. This also means that I am indeed able to teach you how to do chidori." Soba pushes Ryuu out of the way and into Kotone. "I wanna learn how to chidori too!" Ryuu grumbles angrily and helps Kotone up. "I'm sorry about that. S-Soba is an i-idiot. Are you a-alright?" Kotone nods, taking the offered hand. After she is standing, Ryuu notices his father walking with Naruto. "Father! Father!" Sasuke turns to face his youngest. "Hm? Ryuu?" Ryuu stops a respectable distance away from his father and bows respectively. "Hello, father. Kakashi-sensei is going to teach me chidori." Sasuke frowns slightly. "Are you sure? It's dangerous and you can't even make a fireball, yet. It'll take up quite a bit of your chakra if you aren't prepared." Ryuu keeps his head bowed, as to not let his father know he has tears in his eyes. Once. Just once he wanted to make his father proud of him! He feels his body start to shake. He hears the blonde hokage speak up. "Hey, bastard. Cool it, will you? Can't you see you've upset him?" Sasuke sets his hand on his son's head, causing Ryuu to make the mistake of looking up. Sasuke's eyes widen but before he could say anything, Ryuu takes off. Sasuke is frozen in shock. Was Ryuu crying? Why would he be crying? Naruto punches his shoulder. "You basically told him that he was a failure. He knows how important being able to make a fireball is when you're an Uchiha, and you brought up the fact that he couldn't. I'd be upset too, bastard." Sasuke growls. "And how do you know this and I don't?" Naruto sighs, hesitating. "Because he tells me everything he's afraid to tell you." Sasuke has never been more shocked. His own son was afraid to talk to him. "I'll have to take a raincheck on that ramen, loser. I've got to find my son." Naruto chuckles. "No problem, bastard." Sasuke takes off in the direction of his son. He couldn't have gotten far. He suddenly hears Kakashi's voice behind him. "Check the river. He usually goes there when he's upset." Sasuke turns, confirming the voice to be Kakashi's. He notices two genin by his side. One he recognized as Naruto's son, the other he believed was adopted by Kakashi. "Why does everyone seem to know my son better than I do?" He mutters irritated with himself. How could he have not noticed? "Does he confide in everyone but me?" Kakashi doesn't answer. Kotone steps up to Sasuke, cautiously. "He's scared, sir. He thinks you aren't proud of him and that you hate him. He comes over late at night, and we start training, only to stop when he bursts into tears. A crying, stuttering mess, and he doesn't stop until he's poured his heart out and passes out from exhaustion. He doesn't say anything to you because he doesn't want you to think he's weaker than he thinks he already is." Sasuke has to look away. To say he feels terrible is an understatement. He must be the worst father in existence. He thanks Kotone and Kakashi and takes off once again, towards the river. He stops when he sees his son standing on the surface of the water. Ryuu moves slowly and gracefully. Almost like a dance. The water around him shifts and moves with every flick of his wrists and every sway of his body. Sasuke was impressed. None of his older children possessed such grace. This went on for a while, then Ryuu finally seemed to notice he was being watched. The water drops as he turns to face the intruder. He squeaks slightly when he sees his father, and submerges himself underwater. Sasuke sighs and waits for Ryuu to re-emerge. When he does, he looks panicked to still see Sasuke there. The eldest Uchiha grabs Ryuu before he could go back under the water. "We need to talk, son." Ryuu's eyes begins to water. "I-I'm sorry father! I'm so s-sorry! I sh-shouldn't have ran from y-you! I'm sorry!" Sasuke frowns. "I'm not mad at you, son. Calm down, alright?" He nods, shakily. They sit on the grass in silence for a while. Ryuu keeps glancing at Sasuke, nervously. Sasuke sets his hand on Ryuu's head. "I promise I'm not mad at you. I...am a bit upset that you feel as though you can't confide in me. But I am not mad at you. I'm so proud of you and I know I should've said it more. You have been trying so hard, and even harder when I wasn't aware. You were doing all that just to make me proud, when I've been proud of you all along. I...I'm sorry. I do love you, son." Ryuu's eyes widen. His father's eyes were wet. "Papa? I-I mean, father? P-please don't c-cry." Sasuke wipes his eyes as a silent sob leaves his throat. "I'm so sorry, son." Ryuu hesitates a bit, before giving his father a hug. Sasuke returns the hug. "I-I love you, papa. Is it a-alright if I still call you that? E-even though I'm twelve now?" Sasuke squeezes Ryuu tighter. "Of course you can. I'm sorry Ryuu." Kakashi, Kotone, Naruto, and Soba all smile at the scene. "You guys can come out here now." Ryuu releases his father and blushes furiously. They all laugh and hug the two Uchihas.


	2. chapter 2

Dear Journal,

Me and papa have gotten along better as of late. Mama seems happier as well. I still don't feel as though we're as close as he is with everyone else, though. Today Kakashi-sensei is going to teach me chidori. Somehow Hanae found out and she told Itachi, Neji, and Mikoto, so now they're coming to watch, much to my chagrin. I just hope I don't screw up.

-Ryuu

Ryuu's POV

I shut the journal and make my way to the training grounds. I freeze when I see papa and mama as well as my siblings and teammates waiting with Kakashi. "W-what is everyone doing h-here? I th-thought you guys were b-busy." Mikoto grins. "Are you kidding?! We wouldn't miss it, bro! Our little bro is learning a technique that only grampa Kakashi and dad know! How awesome is that?!" I feel heat rush to my cheeks. Why are they even here? They don't believe I can do it, do they? Did they come here to mock me? I feel a hand on my head, looking up I realize it's papa's. He gives me a small smile. "You can do it, Ryuu. Even if you can't, I'm proud of you for trying." I can't stop the smile from coming onto my face, revealing a gap in my teeth that never went away. It doesn't take long for our family to be surrounded by fangirls and guys. Girls are strange. They basically worship the ground my nii-sans walk on and the guys are no better with my nee-chans. Both boys and girls always flock around me, calling me cute and small. This time is no different. I hide behind papa, hoping they'll go away soon. Neji looks up at papa. "Can I please cast a genjutsu on them? They're so annoying." Kakashi lifts up his book, causing the girls to flee. Papa pulls out his sword, causing the remaining guys to run as well. Mama scolds papa and Kakashi for being mean. I tug on Kakashi's sleeve. "Kakashi-sensei? C-can you t-teach me chidori, n-now?" Kakashi nods, leading me a bit further away from my family. "Activate your sharingan and watch carefully." I nod and do as he says. Kakashi pauses for a while. "Uh...I said activate your sharingan. Not your byakugan. Although, it's quite impressive that you have both." I look down, avoiding his gaze. "This is my sharingan. I don't know why it's purple, it just is. Please don't tell father. My byakugan is red so please don't tell mother either." Kakashi kneels next to me. "That's nothing to be ashamed of Ryuu. It's amazing and you should tell your father." I just shake my head. "Can we start please?"

No POV

Kakashi nods and makes the necessary hand seals. "First, concentrate the chakra into your preferred hand, then I change the nature of it so it's like an electrical current, then I change its form so it can discharge at what ever range and power level I determine." Ryuu stares in awe at Kakashi's chidori. He pulls his most determined face. "I got it!" He copies what he saw Kakashi do, making a very small, hardly noticeable chidori. "Good job, Ryuu." Ryuu smiles widely. Unfortunately, Neji and Hanae also had activated their sharingan. They preformed the justu as well, making bigger chidori. The youngest Uchiha instantly deflates. He dispels his chidori and looks down, his bangs casting a shadow over his face. Sasuke seems to notice his youngest's distress and approaches him. "Ryuu? Are you alright?" Ryuu shakes his head. "Do you want to talk to me about it?" Ryuu looks up shocked. He stares at his father for a while before nodding, hesitantly. He follows his father to a tree and they sit. Just like the first time, they sit in silence for a while. It breaks Sasuke's heart that his son is this hesitant to speak to him, but he waits until Ryuu feels confident enough to speak. "Um...I just...well, I w-wanted to do this so I could at l-least be a little bit like y-you, and it would've just been o-our thing, but Neji and Hanae had to r-ruin it. I wanted to-" "Make me proud?" Ryuu stops, looking away. "Ryuu, I already told you that I'm proud of you. You were the first one to learn it out of your siblings and you took the initiative to ask. I admit that Neji and Hanae stole your thunder a bit, but I'm more proud of you than anything." Ryuu can't help but laugh. His father made a joke. Sasuke Uchiha never makes jokes. Ryuu's laughter causes Sasuke to laugh as well. This catches the rest of the Uchiha clan's attention. Itachi smiles. "It seems like Ryuu is finally opening up to father more." Hinata looks over to him. "What do you mean?" Neji sighs. "Haven't you noticed, mother? Ryuu has been keeping his distance from father for a few years now. Any time he had to talk to someone he would always avoid doing so with Father. I believe it's because he feels as though father is not proud of him." Kakashi walks up to them. "Its true. He only wanted to learn chidori because he wanted Sasuke to be proud of him and Neji and Hanae kind of stole the spotlight." The two Uchihas look away, embarrassed. Sasuke sets his hand on Ryuu's head. "It's getting close to valentine's day. Do you want to help me make something for your mother?" Ryuu smiles. "Yeah! Can we also make something for Mikoto, Neji, Itachi, Hanae, Uncle Naruto, Grampa Kakashi, Grampa Hiashi, Aunt Sakura, Uncle Sai, Aunt Ino, Uncle Shikamaru, and everyone else in the village??" Sasuke chuckles. "Sure. Let's just start with our family, okay?" Ryuu nods. Sasuke realizes that he barely knows anything about his youngest. He never knew Ryuu was so kindhearted. Now that he thought about it, Ryuu is extremely similar to how Hinata was back in her genin days. Sasuke stands up, helping Ryuu up as well, before noticing a certain blonde haired hokage running towards them. "Hey, bastard! Oh, hi Ryuu." He waves. "Anyways, I believe team Taka is here to see you. It appears that they have children and they want them to meet your family." Sasuke sighs. "I'm not going over there. If they want to meet us, they'll have to get their asses over here." "Well, that doesn't sound like a very warm welcome." Ryuu turns and sees a white haired man, a red haired lady, and an orange haired man. Next to them was a white haired boy with orange eyes, a orange haired girl with red eyes, and a red haired boy with purple eyes. The white haired boy and the red haired boy smirk at Hanae and Mikoto, receiving an eye roll from both. Neji and Itachi inch away from the orange haired girl. Ryuu freezes, his attention completely on the white haired boy. Sasuke steps forward. "Suigetsu, Karin, Juugo. This is my family. My wife Hinata; my eldest, Mikoto; my twins, Neji and Itachi; my youngest girl, Hanae; and my youngest, Ryuu." Suigetsu grins, his shark-like teeth frightening Ryuu a bit. "My name is Suigetsu. I'm sure you can guess which one of them is which. The white haired boy is my and Juugo's son, Jomei. The red haired boy is my and Karin's son, Fudo. The orange haired girl is Juugo's and Karin's daughter, Akane." Jomei walks up to the youngest Uchiha. "I saw you preform that lightning jutsu. That was pretty good for a first timer. Kind of unfortunate that your sibs took the spotlight." Ryuu's face heats up. He squeezes his eyes closed and bows his head. "Um...uh...my n-name is Ryuu! Nice to meet you!" Jomei snorts. "Heh. You're kind of weird." Ryuu bites his lip, shifting nervously as his heart pounds against his chest. Sasuke raises an eyebrow. "Ryuu, are you alright?" Ryuu turns to his father. "I-I'm fine papa." Jomei snorts. "You still call your dad, papa? Geez! How old are you?" Ryuu looks away, trying to stop the tears from gathering in his eyes. Suigetsu smacks his son. "Don't be an asshole, Jomei." Ryuu turns to his father. "Can I g-go to the lake, f-father?" Sasuke frowns. "Sure, Ryuu." Ryuu nods, running to his lake.


	3. chapter 3

Dear Journal,

I'm glad I decided to take you before I left. Should I name you, considering how much it seems like I write in you? I'll think more about it later. I met some of papa's old friends and their kids...let's just say I've developed a crush on a certai--

"Hey! G-give that back!" Ryuu cries. Jomei cackles. "You've got a diary?! Wow, it just keeps getting better with you, kid!" Ryuu puffs up his cheeks. "Give i-it back! M-my mom gave th-that to m-me!!" Jomei snorts. "Your mommy gave it to you? Aww poor baby." Jomei continues to tease Ryuu, until he accidently sends it flying into the river. Jomei freezes.

"Oh...shit."

Ryuu screams and shoves Jomei out of the way, diving in after the book. "Shit!! Dad! Pops! Someone!" Suigetsu and Sasuke appear next to him. "What's wrong?! What happened?! Where's Ryuu?!" "He dove into the river! I accidentally threw his diary thing in there and he went after it!"

Sasuke growls. "You brat! He received that from his mother! He is one of the most insecure people on the face of the planet. That helps him feel better! Oh god, how long has he been under there?" Just then, Ryuu's head emerges, gasping for air. "RYUU!" The small Uchiha looks to his father. "DAD! PLEASE HELP ME! MY JOURNAL IS TOO FAR FOR ME TO REACH!"

Suigetsu removes his sword. "I'll get it!" He merges into the water. Ryuu swims to shore, being wrapped into a hug by Sasuke. He breaks down into sobs, burying his head in Sasuke's chest. "C-can you tell m-mama that I'm s-sorry? I d-didn't mean to l-lose it." Sasuke sighs and whispers comforting words into his ear, stroking his damp hair.

Jomei frowns, bitting his lip. "...hey, kid? I'm...I--" "SHUT UP!" Everyone freezes. "I-I'm sorry f-for lashing out, but please l-leave me alone...this is a-all your fault." Jomei nods and backs away. A minute or two later, Suigetsu emerges. "I found your book! It's wet, of course, but it'll survive." When he gets back to the Uchihas, Ryuu tackles him into a hug. "Thank you so m-much, sir!" Suigetsu laughs. "You can just call me Sui." Jomei huffs, irritated. He pauses when he realizes that he's pouting. Why is he feeling this way? Ryuu takes his journal from Suigetsu. Sasuke preforms a small fire jutsu to dry it and Ryuu. Ryuu holds it close to his chest, unable to keep the smile off his face.

Later that day, Ryuu is at the training grounds. He looks around to make sure he's alone before opening his journal.

...let's just say I've developed a crush on a certain white haired, orange eyed boy. He threw you into the river, so I'm having second thoughts about this so-called crush. All he does is make fun of me, and I'm not sure how papa would feel if I liked boys. I'll tell you more when something else happens. I was also thinking that your name could be Khomeini.

-Ryuu

Closing the journal once more, he's shocked to see Jomei crouching in front of him. He scoots back until his back meets a tree. He clutches his journal to his chest. "W-what do y-y-you want?" Jomei had followed Ryuu back into the tree. "You...confuse me." "W-why?" Jomei stands, beginning to pace. "You are one of the worst ninja I've ever seen. You can't even pick up when someone is close to you! If I were someone else, you'd be dead!" Ryuu frowns. He didn't need someone else to say he's a bad ninja, he already knew.

Much to his annoyance, Jomei kept on listing the reasons he was a bad shinobi. "And another thing! You--whoa whoa whoa! Are you crying?! Dude, no! Don't cry! I'm...I'm sorry!" Ryuu shakes his head, pulling at his hair with the hand that isn't holding his journal. "Oh! D-don't stop o-on my beh-half! Please! Tell me h-how I'm a f-fuck up! Give me m-more reasons to hate m-myself! I can't w-wait to hear about my stutter! Go on! D-do it!" Jomei feels awful. He doesn't know how to express himself, so he results to insults. "I'm waiting! Go a-ahead!" Ryuu collapses. "D-don't you think I know that I-I'm a bad shinobi? I'm a d-disapp-pointment to my father, and all of my other family. My siblings w-will always be better than m-me."

Jomei just stands across from the boy in silence. There's a rustling before Fudo emerges from the trees. "Hey, Jomei! Dad's looking for you." His gaze shifts to the sobbing Uchiha. "Hey...Ryuu, right? Are you okay? You wanna talk?" Ryuu hesitates, before nodding. Fudo smiles, helping the helpless Uchiha up. "Let's go somewhere else to talk. Jomei, go meet dad at the hotel we're staying at." And with that, Jomei is alone.

"He did what?" Fudo asks, incredulously. "He th-threw my journal into the river, and didn't bother t-to help me l-look for it. Then he found me while I was b-by myself just to start listing a-all the reasons why I'm a bad shinobi." Fudo growls. "That bastard." Ryuu smiles. Fudo is a good listener. Ryuu's also not stuttering as much when he talks to him.

"Hey, will you b-be my friend? I know I'm not very g-good at being a ninja, so you have no b-benefit to being my friend, aside from the fact that I'm an Uchiha a-and I'll be an easy target if anyone were to try and kill one of us and--"

"Sure."

Ryuu cuts himself off, shocked being an understatement. "I-I'm sorry, what?" Fudo snorts, bursting out into laughter. "Yes, I'll be your friend. I know you'll be a great shinobi, but in the meantime, I'll protect you." Ryuu grins. No stranger has ever put that much faith in him before. At least none that his insecurities would allow him to think of. "Don't worry, dude. If you ever get hurt, all you have to do is bite me." That throws Ryuu off guard. "W-why would I want to b-bite you?" Fudo understands why Ryuu would be shocked.

"Oh, I inherited my mother's healing abilities. If you were to bite me, you'd be healed. As a direct descendant of the Uzumaki clan, mother has a remarkably powerful life-force. This gives her tremendous stamina, reserves of chakra, and vitality. This also gives her immense longevity. Her inherit life-force also grants a powerful healing capabilities, allowing her to mend wounds and regenerate quickly. We can heal others by letting them bite us. However, it is dangerous for us to use the ability more than once a day, and as a consequence for doing exactly that, mother is left with permanent bite marks all over her body." He pauses, then rubs his neck sheepishly. "Sorry. That's a lot to take in."

Ryuu shakes his head with a smile. "I understand. I'm good at retaining information. Oh! Maybe p-papa would be proud of me f-for that!" His smile slowly slips away. "Wait...all ninja are supposed to be like that." Fudo frowns. What happened to the boy to make him doubt himself so much? He's just a bit of a late bloomer. If what his mother told him is correct, Naruto was a late bloomer as well and now he's hokage!

Fudo is just going to have to be the best friend he could be. "Hey! How about we train together? I'm pretty good at combat and I could also teach you how to use a sword!" "To make papa proud of me?" The older male sighs. "No. To make you proud of yourself. You're really insecure about anything and everything you do, and I want to help you with that. Maybe we could start by you telling me when it all happened?"

Ryuu fidgets a bit, before nodding. "Well, I was really little. It was around the time I started learning words. I didn't understand them at the time, but once I got better at speaking and knew a lot of words, I realized what they said and it was hurtful. Especially when Father agreed." "What did they say?" Taking a deep breath, Ryuu continues. "They said, 'What's wrong with him? I bet he won't be able to do anything. He's so small and weird looking.' Then I heard papa say, 'Maybe you're right, but I can't get rid of him. Hinata would be furious.'" Fudo can't find the words to express how much he has a whole new hatred for Sasuke Uchiha. He's brought out of his thoughts by Ryuu poking him. "Um...do you realize that y-you think out loud a lot?" The red haired male scratches the back of his head, standing up and leading the broken Uchiha somewhere else.


	4. chapter 4

Dear Khomeini,

I like the sound of that. Is that alright with you? I am currently at Ichiraku's with Fudo. He thought it'd be a good way to get my mind off of certain things. He says it's bad to dwell on things that don't matter. I think they matter, but I guess they don't. I'll tell you about it later.

-Ryuu

The Uchiha closes the book, feeling a presence behind him. Turning, he sees Fudo hovering over his shoulder. Heat rushes to the shorter male's face. "W-what are you d-doing?" Fudo grins. "You named your journal?" Ryuu's eyes widen, sadness and fear lacing his features. Fudo notices the look on his face and tries to backtrack.

"No no no! I didn't mean anything bad by it! Oh, please don't make that face!" A few tears slip down Ryuu's face before Fudo grabs it and presses a kiss to his forehead. "I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to taunt you. I'm not like Jomei. I just thought it was cute." Ryuu smiles a bit. "Thank you." Fudo grins and orders food for them both.

Fudo and Ryuu are walking towards the training grounds, so they can train off the food they ate earlier. "Come on. Attack me. I'll go easy at first, then no mercy." Ryuu nods, a determined gleam in his eyes. He pulls out a couple of kunai and charges at the redhead. Fudo easily blocks the attack. "Don't go easy on me, Ryuu! Attack me like I just shredded your journal and danced on the remains! Attack me like I'm Jomei and I'm about to throw your journal into acid!"

Ryuu twitches. His grip tightens on the kunai and he launches himself into his attacks. Not planning a strategy or anything of the kind. Fudo is able to shove Ryuu onto the ground. "You've gotta do better than that! You left yourself wide open! Don't be reckless!" Ryuu attacks again, more carefully. Fudo kicks Ryuu in the chest.

Ryuu skids a few feet back. He pauses, huffing and trying to bring his breathing back to normal. "Don't focus just on offence. Work on defence as well." Ryuu screams, gripping his hair at the root. "I CAN'T DO THIS!!" "You did good, Ryuu." The small Uchiha snaps his head in the direction of the voice. "Papa?" There was no one there. Fudo sets his hand on Ryuu's shoulder. "Let's take a break. Maybe we could talk?" Ryuu hesitates before nodding.

Fudo leads Ryuu to a tree to rest on. The Uchiha takes a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. Before he could speak however, his father appears behind him. "Ryuu. We need to talk." Fudo growls at the older Uchiha. Ryuu begins to panic. "W-what are you d-doing here, papa?" Sasuke frowns. "I've been following you all day." Fudo nudges Ryuu behind him, attempting to protect him.

A sigh slips through Sasuke's lips. "I need to tell you that we weren't talking about you that night." Confusion appears on both the boys' faces. "Around the time you turned 4, your mother found a dog. It was matted and malnourished. We couldn't tell what type of dog it was. Dobe hokage was talking about how it was basically useless. I agreed with him. But I couldn't get rid of it. Your mother would've killed me." Ryuu stares up at him in confusion. Sasuke smirks. "Your mother is vicious when she wants to be. Anyway, you know that mutt that's been hanging around Kiba and Akamaru?" Ryuu nods.

"That's the mutt that Hinata took in. She named it Akane. That's who we were talking about that night. I would never try to give you up. I meant it when I said I loved you, Ryuu. You're my son. I'm proud of you, even if I don't say it often." Ryuu smiles widely. "Thank you, papa." Sasuke kneels down and gathers Ryuu into his arms. Ryuu happily hugs him back. Fudo huffs. Maybe Sasuke isn't as bad a person as he thought.

"Come on, Fudo! Hurry! We're going to miss training with Soba and Kotone-chan!" Fudo laughs. "Why are you complaining? You're on my back! I'm doing all the work!" Ryuu joins his laughter. "It was your idea so don't blame me for your laziness." Arriving at Kakashi's house, they let themselves into his training area. Kotone and Soba turn and greet the two, along with an unexpected extra person.

"J-Jomei??"

The white haired boy grins. "Hey, guys! I was just telling your teammates to tell you something, but I guess I'll do it now. I'm going traveling. Tall Pops is coming with me." Ryuu fights the urge to frown, forcing a smile instead. "That's g-great!" Fudo nudges him. Ryuu nods, taking in a deep breath. "I just wanted to tell you that I...um...I like you!" Jomei freezes. Heat creeps up his neck to his cheeks. "Why on earth would you say something like that?! That's--" Amazing! Adorable! Wonderful! "Disgusting! You're just some little kid that has a diary and cries to his mommy." Fudo flinches. He could swear he heard the exact moment Ryuu's heart shattered.

He knows that wasn't what Jomei wanted to say. That idiot. "O-oh. Um...s-sorry you feel that w-way...I'm sorry I f-feel this way too." He turns to his teammates. "I'll train some other day. Bye, you guys." Jomei steps forward. "Ryuu, wait--" The young Uchiha flinches away. He turns and runs. Before Jomei could follow him, Fudo snatches his arm. "I think you've done enough. Just leave him be. I'll talk to him later. I think it's best for you to just leave." Jomei sighs, nodding in reluctant agreement.

Kotone looks at Fudo worryingly. "I hope he'll be okay." Soba suddenly is serious. "I'm sure he will be. He just needs time to himself. Hopefully, he'll be back to normal in, at the very latest, two days." They nod. Hopefully.


	5. chapter 5

Dear Khomeini,

It's been approximately five years since I've made a new friend. Me and father get along a lot better and I've learned how to use a sword, thanks to Fudo. According to them, I am no longer as insecure as I was before. Instead, I'm even a little bit cocky when it comes to sword fighting. I've even beat Suigetsu, but no matter how many times I battle with Father, it always ends up in a tie. Although I've gotten better at being a combat ninja, for the most part, I think I want to become a medical ninja. Fudo is my best friend and could be my assistant, but I'll think more on it before I decide for sure. I haven't heard much from Jomei. Not since he found out about my feelings for him. Fudo tells me he's still traveling from village to village. I'm not worried about it though. Me and Kotone have been on a few dates. I've also gone out with Soba once or twice. I've grown out of my stutter, now only doing so when I'm really nervous. I need to meet up with Fudo soon, so I'll talk to you later.

-Ryuu

Closing the book, Ryuu stands from his position at his desk. He puts his journal away in a drawer, and leaves his room. Walking up to Mikoto, he says, "If mother or father ask, I'm heading out to meet Fudo." His oldest sister nods. "Understood." As Ryuu turns and walks towards the door, Mikoto stops him. "Oh! By the way, some kid came by earlier. I don't remember his name. He left some flowers for you. I threw them out, cause you're allergic to them."

Ryuu frowns. He couldn't think of anyone who would try to kill him, so it must've been an honest mistake. By whom, he couldn't figure out. Soba wouldn't do that. Neither would Fudo, seeing as how he knows what he's allergic to and that he has a girlfriend. It might've been Kotone, but Mikoto said it was a boy. Then again, she also knows what he's allergic to. With a shrug, he pushes those thoughts away. "Thank you for telling me, nee-chan. I'll be on my way."

Ryuu exits his house, making his way towards his meeting place with Fudo. While he walks in silence, his earlier thoughts drift to the forefront of his mind. Who could've sent him flowers? Maybe it was Soba. The impulsive boy could've tried to do something romantic for once. The thought brings a blush to his face. Convinced that it was Soba who sent the flowers, he stops in his tracks, becoming flustered. Lucky for him, he was within sight of his destination and Fudo saw him. The redhead walks up to him, confused on why he's stopped in the middle of the clearing.

"Hey, Ryuu! Are you alright?" Ryuu flinches. He was so caught up in his embarrassment that he didn't sense Fudo get closer. "S-sorry," he clears his throat, "I just thought of something and it made me flustered, I suppose." Fudo laughs, ruffling the slightly shorter boy's hair. "What was it to get you all embarrassed like that?"

"Well...someone brought flowers to my house this morning. I think I know who it was, and the thought made my brain short-circuit. Unfortunately, I was allergic to those flowers so my sister threw them out." Fudo laughs. "Aww Ryuu-chan has a secret admirer!" Ryuu's blush comes back full force.

"Sh-shut up!" Almost immediately, there's a crowd of fangirls and guys surrounding Ryuu. All of them trying to take credit for whatever it was that has Ryuu a blushing mess. The Uchiha becomes even more flustered at all the attention he's receiving. 'Kami, is this what father had to go through? I would leave the village too if I were him. Help me, Kami-sama! My so-called friend is just standing there!'

"HEY!"

Everyone turns towards the voice, irritated that it drew their attention away from the object of their affection. Upon seeing who it is, everyone flees, fear coursing through them. There stood a boy a bit older than Ryuu. If the Uchiha had not have met him before, he wouldn't have recognized him.

"Jomei-san?"

The white haired male nods in affirmative, hiding the fact that he's a bit put off by the formalities. Fudo immediately goes into the defensive. "What do you want, Jomei?" Although it was a question, it was said like a statement. Jomei gives a lopsided grin. "Nothin'. I jus' wanted ta help out my bro's friend. What's yer name, dude?" Ryuu raises an eyebrow.

"We've met...'dude'. I'm Ryuu Uchiha, Jomei-san." The white haired boy's eyes widen. Ryuu had grown up to be quite the looker. His hair is tied into a low ponytail and his eyes are framed with thin black glasses. He has some muscle, but not enough to be seen, unless outright staring. He's still a bit on the short side, and Jomei finds himself happy for that. Jomei beats himself up mentally for not speaking to the boy in so long.

Ryuu, on the other hand, is regrettably having similar thoughts. Jomei's hair stayed relatively the same length, now having one or two braids in random places. He's muscular as well, only its more noticeable. He carries a sword on his back, much like his father. A soft, warm feeling begins to bubble up in Ryuu's chest. A feeling he hasn't felt in years, not since Jomei rejected him all those years ago.

He smothers the feeling and smiles politely. "It's nice to see you again, Jomei-san. How have you been?" Jomei panics a bit, saying the first thing that comes to his shocked mind.

His shocked, _stupi_ _d_ , mind.

"M'fine! I bet yer just askin' 'cause you still got that huge monster crush on me."

Ryuu's smile fades, a sharp pain in his heart. "I see. Well, I'd hate to burden you, so I'll be on my way." He turns to leave, only for someone to grab his wrist. He looks back, expecting to see Fudo, but instead seeing Jomei. "Wait, dude I--" He's cut off by a loud shout.

"JOMEI!"

He releases Ryuu's wrist and cringes. 'Shit.' "Get your ass over here and take responsibly!" A blonde haired girl storms up to them. She has a single red highlight and a mixture of orange and green eyes. As she gets closer Jomei gets more irritated. "What the fuck do I need ta take responsibility for, ya crazy bitch?!"

She growls at him. "How dare you just leave like that! You know I can't get upset!" "You're always upset! What does it matter now?!" "Maybe because I'm pregnant with your child?!" Everything goes silent. Fudo grabs onto Ryuu to keep him from fainting, which he very nearly does.

Jomei stares at her in shock. "...what..? That's...impossible. THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE! WE ONLY FUCKED ONCE!" The "crazy bitch" calms down a bit, setting her hand on his shoulder. "That's all it takes sometimes. I don't want this baby to be yours any more than you do, but we have to raise it together." Jomei sighs and nods in defeat. The woman turns to Fudo and Ryuu.

"Sorry you had to witness that. My name is Yumi." Ryuu smiles awkwardly. "My name is Ryuu. This is my friend, Fudo. We were just leaving." Jomei snaps his head in their direction. "Wait, Ryuu I have to talk to you." The Uchiha shakes his head. "Maybe next time. I can see you're busy. I guess this also answers the question of 'how have you been?', huh?"

Fudo places his hand on the younger's shoulder. If they didn't leave now, Ryuu would get hysterical. He's already beginning to pull at his hair. Fudo smiles politely. "Excuse us." He leads them away to the tree next to the lake. As they sit, Ryuu relaxes almost immediately.

"I'm sorry about that. It was just hard seeing him after so long." Fudo chuckles. "It's alright. That's a perfectly reasonable response." Ryuu sighs and sets his head on Fudo's shoulder. Fudo wraps his arm around Ryuu's waist, pulling him closer. They sit in silence. Ryuu smiles at the reflection of the sun against the smooth, undisturbed lake, while Fudo has his eyes on Ryuu's face. He feels as though he's failing his best friend. He needed to talk to him. Now seemed like the perfect time to say something, but before he could, Jomei appears across the lake. Ryuu doesn't notice him, seeing as how his eyes are closed, but Jomei and Fudo make eye contact. Jomei with a look of pure betrayal, and Fudo with one of annoyance.

"Ryuu!"

The youngest male flinches. His eyes snap open, searching for the source of his name, only to find Jomei staring at him. Ryuu sighs and stands up, removing himself from the redhead. He walks across the water to the white haired boy. "May I help you?" Jomei has an internal struggle with himself. He needs to make sure he doesn't screw this up again.

"M'sorry. I didn' mean ta say what I did. I jus' never know how ta talk ta ya. It's jus' been so long since I've seen ya." Ryuu nods. "Indeed it has been. You've missed out on a lot. I don't understand why you've always been this way to me, but I've learned to accept it. You don't have to worry about my 'huge monster crush' as you call it. I've been seeing other people." Jomei twitches. "What?! Who are they?! I'll rip'em apart!!"

The Uchiha frowns. "Why do you care? You're having a baby and you've made it quite clear that my feelings were disgusting." Jomei frowns, studying Ryuu. He seems a bit off. Well, he hasn't seen him in five years, but still. Something wasn't right. "You've lost your stutter."

"I'm not sure what that has to do with the subject at hand, but yes. I've lost my stutter." Ryuu is surprised when Jomei pouts a little. "Damn. It was cute." Heat rushes to Ryuu's face so fast he becomes a bit lightheaded. "E-excuse me?"

The white haired male grins. "There it is! Even the blush!" Ryuu puffs up his burning cheeks. "Okay, so I didn't lose it completely. But it's going away. I don't understand why you care or why you came here, but please leave. I'm sure your girlfriend needs something." Jomei's grin turns into a frown once again. "She's not my girlfriend. I wouldn't be anywhere near her if it wasn't for her having my child." Ryuu sighs, turning away. "I have to go." Jomei panics. He grabs Ryuu's hand, pulling him back and smashing their lips together. Ryuu freezes, before melting into the kiss.

Jomei cheers internally. He's wanted to do this for five years. Fudo growls from the other side of the river. "Jomei! Get off of him!" Ryuu seems to come back to his senses, pushing Jomei away and running over to Fudo. He buries his face into the redhead's chest. Yumi appears next to them, causing Jomei to groan in annoyance.

She stops next to Ryuu. "Are you alright?" He nods, hesitantly. She smiles at him before turning her attention to Jomei. "GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE, NOW!" Jomei snorts, but complies. "What is it now, woman?" "You can't just go around kissing innocent people, Jomei! He's scared to death!" While the two "lovebirds" are arguing, Ryuu and Fudo slip away.

"Are you alright, Ryuu?" Ryuu sighs, looking down. "I will be. Can we train?" Fudo nods. They stop at Ryuu's house to grab his sword, then make their way to the training grounds.

"Ready?"

"Let's go!"

They charge at each other, swords clashing immediately. Fudo moves to kick Ryuu, but he saw it coming and blocked it with a hand, the other still gripping his sword, tightly. Fudo smirks. "You've gotten better." Ryuu smiles. "Learned from the best." He lifts his leg and slams it into Fudo's side, sending him flying into a tree. Fudo is barely able to catch himself in the tree, before launching back at Ryuu.

His attack is blocked. They continue to move in perfect sync, attacking and blocking each other's attacks. Soon, and without their knowledge, they've attracted a crowd.

They separate, panting. It's only then that they realize they have an audience. Fudo smirks, shifting his sword into one hand and grabbing a kunai with the other. "Want to give them something to watch?" Ryuu grins, activating his byakugan and pulling out a kunai as well. "It'd be rude if we chose otherwise."

Ryuu throws his kunai, smirking when Fudo dodges it, but lowers his defence. Ryuu goes straight for his blindspot. Fudo realizes his mistake and barely has enough time to throw his kunai and block with his sword, his kunai grazing Ryuu's cheek, but the force of Ryuu's blow sends them back a few feet. "Nice try."

Ryuu laughs. "Don't worry. I'm not done yet! CHIDORI!" He slams a small, non-fatal chidori into Fudo's shoulder. Fudo goes flying back, slamming into a tree. Ryuu activates his sharingan and byakugan at the same time, creating a pretty, dangerous, mix of red and purple.

"Firestyle: Fire Breath Jutsu!" He takes a deep breath and blows blue flames at Fudo. Fudo uses a substitution jutsu at the last second, narrowly escaping being burnt. He appears in the Uchiha's blindspot, holding a finger pistol to his head. "Water Gun." Lucky for Ryuu, he ducks just in time for the water bullet to miss his head by a thread. He turns and thrusts his sword, stopping centimeters from Fudo's throat.

"I win."

The crowd cheers. Fudo laughs. "Good job, Ryuu. You're getting better and better every time we spar." Ryuu adjusts his glasses and removes his sword, putting it back into its sheath. The Uchiha smiles happily. "Thanks to you, Fudo."

"That was impressive Ryuu." The Uchiha gasps. "Father! Mother! Nii-sans! Nee-chans! What are you doing here??" Mikoto grins. "We heard that there was a fight including an Uchiha. Of course we're going to come watch! Gotta make sure our bro can kickass! That was fucking awesome!" Hinata smiles. "While I would have liked if you would refrain from using profanity, I have to agree with you, Mikoto. That was amazing, Ryuu-kun."

Ryuu smiles. "Thank you, mother." Sasuke sets his hand on Ryuu's head. "I'm proud of you, son. Not even your siblings could use a sword that well." Ryuu's eyes water but he manages to keep his tears at bay. "That means a lot coming from you, father." Neji and Itachi awkwardly walk up to the youngest Uchiha. "Hey, could you teach us how to use a sword like that?" They said in unison.

"I'd be happy to! But I learned from Fudo. You should ask him." The twins nod and go over to talk to Fudo. Hanae hugs Ryuu. "You did awesome, Ryuu-chan!" "Thank you, Hanae-chan." Mikoto and Hinata join the hug while Sasuke just sets his hand on Ryuu's head. Ryuu has the biggest smile on his face, completely forgetting about the events from earlier that day.


	6. chapter 6

Dear Khomeini,

I still haven't found out who keeps sending me flowers. I've already talked to Soba and he agrees that it isn't something that he would do. I guess it was just a mistake. Maybe the flowers are actually for one of my nee-chans. I try not to think about it too much. I'm meeting up Kaemon Aburame and Kyomi Inuzuka and we're gonna spar. You remember Kaemon and Kyomi, right? Kaemon has short dark brown, almost black, hair and dark green eyes and Kyomi has brown hair and the infamous Inuzuka eyes. Not to mention the signature Inuzuka fangs. My relationship with Kaemon is kind of...complicated, to put it simply. We've been together on and off for a while. Mostly because he can't commit. Anyways, I hope mother will be okay outside, seeing as how she's eight months pregnant. I'll make sure to bring an umbrella and water in case she gets hot.

-Ryuu

"Ryuu! Are you ready?" "I'm coming mother!" Ryuu leaves his book on his bed and meets his mother at the door. He opens the door and assists his mother outside. "Mother, are you sure this is a good idea? Something could happen. You could go into labor and father wouldn't be able to take you to the hospital. What if the sun effects my little brother or sister?"

Hinata laughs. "You sound exactly how your brothers and sisters did when I was pregnant with you. I'll be okay. If I do happen to go into labor, Shino-kun can take me to the hospital and Kiba-kun can alert your father." Ryuu calms down a bit, but slows down to make sure he's right next to his mother in case she needs help with anything.

Upon arriving, Kyomi tackles the male Uchiha with a hug. "Ryuu-chan!" Ryuu laughs and returns the embrace. "Why does everyone call me that? It's good to see you Kyomi-chan. You too, Kaemon-kun." Kaemon smiles. "Kyomi, get off of him. I want a hug as well." Kyomi sticks her tongue out at him, but releases the Uchiha. Kaemon embraces the Uchiha and gives him a quick kiss on the cheek.

Ryuu blushes a bit, quickly removing himself from the Aburame. He goes up to Kiba and Shino, giving them hugs as well. Kyomi grins at Hinata's baby belly. "You just keep getting bigger, huh, Aunt Hinata?" Hinata giggles and nods. Kaemon slips closer to Ryuu. "So, are you ready to spar?"

An unpleasant shiver runs up Ryuu's spine. He knew Kaemon was close but he didn't think he was that close. "Sure. Weapons or hand-to-hand?" Kaemon smirks and leans closer to the smaller male's ear. "You know I'm a hands on learner." Ryuu steps away. "Yes, I've realized. Let's get started, shall we?"

What started as hand-to-hand combat, slowly shifted into one of weapons. Ryuu with his signature sword and Kaemon with a kunai and some shrunken. Kaemon charges and Ryuu immediately notices the errors in his stance, using it to his advantage. Kaemon aims for Ryuu's chest, the shorter male saw it coming and launched into the air.

Kaemon freezes, confusion lacing his features. 'What the hell? He was right here!' Ryuu sighs. Kaemon immediately lowered his defence when he lost sight of the Uchiha. 'This is too easy. This isn't a fair fight. How is he so bad at weaponry? He's older than I am!'

Unfortunately, Ryuu's defences lowered right when Kaemon noticed he was in the air. The Aburame grabs onto Ryuu's leg and slams him into the ground, pinning him there. He swipes Ryuu's sword and holds it against his neck. Ryuu winces, shutting his eyes at the pain. When he does open his eyes, he notices that Kaemon is close.

So close that if either of them moved, they'd be kissing.

"RYUU-CHAN!!! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!"

Ryuu growls and shoves Kaemon away. "I'm fine, Kyomi-chan. Just a bit caught off guard." Kyomi rushes over and offers Ryuu a hand. Smiling politely, he takes the offer. Hinata rushes over as fast as she can. "A-are you alright, Ryuu-kun?" Ryuu fixes his glasses. "I'm okay. Thank you mother."

Kaemon clears his throat from the ground where he still lay. "Is anyone going to ask if _I'm_ okay? Or help _me_ up?" Ryuu turns. The light shines menacingly off his glasses, shielding his eyes. "I don't believe you were slammed into the ground. You should be perfectly capable of getting up yourself. I, on the other hand, am feeling quite sore. I am thankful for the help I needed and received."

Kaemon rolls his eyes and stands, leaving shortly afterwards. Hinata squeaks, before softly groaning in pain. "Oh, dear. K-Kiba-kun, could you go fetch my husband? Shino-kun, Kyomi-chan, and Ryuu-kun, can you help me to the hospital? My water just broke." Kiba nods. "Akamaru! Carry Hinata to the hospital. Be careful!" The giant dog barks in response, scooping up Hinata gently, along with everyone else, he races to the hospital.

As they arrive, the rest of the Uchihas meet them at the door. Sasuke scoops up Hinata and demands for her to be seen immediately. Ino rushes over. "I'll take care of her, just bring her into this room. Only Sasuke is allowed in the room, so the rest of you have to wait in the waiting room."

Kyomi, Mikoto, Neji, Itachi, and Hanae look over to Ryuu as the door shuts behind his parents and Ino. Ryuu has never experienced the birth of any of his siblings so he didn't know how to react. He's trembling and thinking of anything that could go wrong. Kyomi and the Uchiha siblings wrap him into a hug, attempting to calm the youngest down, but failing when they hear their mother screaming in pain.

Hours later, Ino steps back through the doors of the labor room. Ryuu is the first one in front of her. "Is mother okay? What happened? Is everything alright?" Ino laughs. "She's fine. So is your new sister." Neji and Itachi are immediately by their side. "Sister?!" Ino laughs again. "Yes, a sister. Would you like to meet her?" The siblings and Kyomi nod.

The blonde leads them to the room Hinata and Sasuke are in. "Sasuke? Hinata? Your kids are here." Hinata motions for them to come forward. The baby, currently being held by Sasuke, is handed to Ryuu. The boy tenses up, having never held a baby before. "W-what do I do? What if I drop her?" Mikoto laughs and helps her baby brother hold their new sister.

Ryuu is trembling, but once he looks down and notices that the baby is looking back at him, he relaxes. Her eyes are gray, about the same shade as his. He blinks and she does a slow, sluggish blink back. Ryuu grins and she begins to giggle. "Mother, what's her name?"

Sasuke is the one who speaks up. "That's up to you." At the confusion on his face, Sasuke elaborates. "You get to name her. Mikoto named the twins. The twins named Hanae. Hanae named you, so you get to name her." All of the siblings look away from each other and blush.

They never realized or talked about how they got their names. Ryuu looks back to the baby in his hands and smiles. "Can we name her Yoshiko?" Hinata smiles and nods. Ino walks over. "Is it official?" Sasuke nods as well. "Okay. On this day, we welcome the newest addition to the Uchiha family, Yoshiko. May her life be full of love."


	7. chapter 7

_**Trigger Warning: could be seen as dub-con**_

Dear Khomeini,

I have a new sister! I got to name her and everything. She's coming home today with mother and I can't wait to show her everything. I believe Ino-san said that Yoshiko (my sister) doesn't have any chakra, so she won't be a ninja when she grows up. I can't wait. I'll be the best big brother ever! Other than nii-sans of course. I have to go. I have to be there when Mother returns with Yoshiko.

-Ryuu

Ryuu's POV

As soon as I'm at the door, Father opens it, quickly followed by Mikoto pushing Mother in a wheelchair with Itachi and Neji flanking the sides, arguing who will get to carry Yoshiko first. I smile. Father helps Mother into their room so they can rest.

A loud banging noise shakes the rest of us out of our bliss. Mikoto twitches angrily as she snatches the front door open to reveal Jomei and Kaemon, both with flowers in their hands. Jomei with hydrangeas, and Kaemon with carnations. Both of which, I am allergic to. I can already feel my throat closing.

Neji leads me away from the immediate area and into mother's garden where there are none of those two flowers. They're pretty, honestly they are, but I can't be around them. Itachi enters the room shortly afterwards. "Mikoto and Hanae are handling it, since the flowers were most likely for them." I nod, grateful that I didn't have to speak to the two boys.

Jomei has hurt me and confused me for way too long. Kaemon couldn't commit to anything to save his life. I'd rather be with someone reliable. Someone like Fudo or Kotone, maybe? I don't know. Mikoto makes her presence known. "Hey, apperently the flowers were for you, Ryuu. Those idiots had no idea you were allergic to those flowers. Somebody needs to do their research before trying to court someone, dontcha think?" I raise an eyebrow. "Court? They were trying to court me? Me?"

Hanae appears behind Mikoto. "Yupp! I heard it with my own ears! I personally feel like Ryumon would be cute." Mikoto scoffs. "No way. Ryumei all the way!" I feel my face heat up. "When did my love life become a ship war?" To my horror, Itachi and Neji joined the ridiculous conversation. "Pfft. Please! It's all about KotoRyuu!" Itachi exclaims, to which Neji responds with, "How are we twins?! SobaRyuu is where it's at." I cover my face, completely and utterly embarrassed. I can't help what happens next. The world around me gets dark, and I feel light headed. Next thing I know, I'm unconscious.

No POV

The siblings laugh as Mikoto catches the youngest male Uchiha before he hits the ground. There's a knock on the door. Sasuke goes down to answer it. Opening the door to Fudo. The redhead smiles widely. "Hey, Sasuke-san! Congratulations on your new baby! Is Ryuu-chan here, by chance?"

Sasuke smirks. "He's in the back. I believe he's unconscious, but you are more than welcome to go back there." Fudo chuckles, not even fazed by the statement. "Okay, thank you." Ryuu blinks his eyes open as Fudo walks towards them. "O-oh...hello Fudo. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Fudo snorts. "You're so weird. Why am I friends with you again?"

Ryuu giggles a bit, still a little dizzy. "Why do there appear to be four of you, Fudo-kun?" Fudo laughs. "You wanna go to the lake?" Ryuu nods, happily. Fudo helps Ryuu to their usual lake. He sets Ryuu against the base of the nearby tree. "Hey, I'll be back. I'll go get us something to eat." Ryuu, who has gained back his awareness, nods and watches the sun reflect against the water. He sees something move in the normally still water, so he gets a closer look. On his hands and knees looking closely at the water.

Suddenly, a hand shoots out and pulls him into the water, leaving nothing but his glasses in the place he sat before. He's dragged through the water and ends up on the other side, pinned to a tree, blocking the view of the spot Fudo returned to. He's left to find Ryuu's glasses but no Ryuu.

Ryuu opens his eyes but can't see very well. He knows his arms are pinned above his head and something is between his legs. Slowly, he begins to realize it's a person holding him down. "Who a-are you? What do you w-want from m-me?" A voice speaks in his ear, gently. "Shhh. It's okay. I won't hurt you." Ryuu's eyes widen. He knew that voice.

"J-Jomei??"

He's startled when he feels the man nuzzle into the crook of his neck. "I can't handle when you stare at me so intensely, so I always end up saying something stupid. I really like you, Ryuu. I'm sorry it took so long for me to admit it." Tears form in Ryuu's eyes. "I don't know if I should believe you," he whispers. Jomei sighs against the smaller male's ear.

The next thing Ryuu knew, Jomei's lips are sealed against his. The same feeling as before rushes into the forefront of Ryuu's senses. A shiver runs up and down his back as he realizes that his clothes are soaking wet. Jomei notices the shiver. "Are you cold, my little dragon?" Ryuu nods hesitantly. He begins shaking violently when Jomei begins to strip him of the wet clothes.

"Shhh. I won't hurt you, my beautiful sunflower." The shorter male whimpers as he feels Jomei rub their private areas together. A small moan escapes Ryuu as Jomei grinds a bit harder, only to be silenced by a small kiss. "Shhh. Don't be too loud, my sweet cinnamon roll. My brother might hear us and take you away from me." Ryuu strains to stay quiet as tears stream down his cheeks.

"P-please stop. I'm scared. I can't see. Please...please." Jomei stops immediately. He didn't want to hurt or scare the poor boy. He releases Ryuu's arms, sitting up. The movement causes their private areas to rub harshly together. Ryuu releases a breathy moan. Jomei shivers at the pleasure. Leaning back down to steady himself as his grinds against the boy under him. He grips the grass by Ryuu's head tightly, ripping the dirt up a bit.

He grinds harder, shocked and happy when Ryuu bucks against him. The two remain on the ground dry humping one another. "St-stop. Please." Ryuu begs, even though he's enjoying and participating in the act just as much as Jomei. They continue to rut against each other until Ryuu releases against Jomei's chest and his own stomach, while Jomei releases on Ryuu's chest. Ryuu whimpers, not used to that type of stimulation. Jomei presses kisses down from Ryuu's lips to his collar bone.

The white haired boy then cleans Ryuu and himself of the cum covering both their bodies. "Did that feel good, my sweet little beautiful dragonfruit?" Ryuu covers his face, ashamed that he enjoyed it as much as he did. Jomei sits up and helps the smaller male back into his, relatively dry, clothes. The white haired male gives Ryuu another kiss. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done this, I just couldn't help myself. I've been trying to do this for the longest time."

Jomei presses a kiss to the boy's temple. "If you want me to leave you alone, just tell me. I'll leave." Ryuu struggles to speak at all. "I...I don't...don't want you to...to leave me alone," Jomei smiles. "B-but...you're having a baby and I don't want to get in the way of that." Jomei sighs. Although he understands Ryuu's reasoning, he can't help but be a little disappointed.

"Ryuu, I don't love that girl. Don't even like her. Can't even stand her. I want you. I want to be with you. Please. I swear if you allow me to stay with you, I'll stay forever." Ryuu frowns. "What about the baby? Are you going to abandon it?" Jomei sighs. "No. Despite not wanting anything to do with that harlot, I understand this is my responsibility. I will support them and visit the baby, but neither me nor its mother like each other. There's no way we'll be able to stay together. Not even for the baby. Besides, I've already got you for my baby."

Ryuu blushes, pouting a bit. "I'm not a child, Jomei-san." The taller male nuzzles his nose against Ryuu's. "You're so cute." Ryuu screws his eyes shut and smashes their lips together. He pulls back just as quickly. "I'm not cute. I'm an Uchiha." He stands and walks into the open where Fudo can see him. "Ryuu-chan! There you are! What happened?" Ryuu couldn't see the man, so he answers blindly. "I wanted a closer look at the water. I guess I fell in. Do you, by chance, happen to know where my glasses are?" Fudo walks over to Ryuu and hands him his glasses. The world becomes clearer. "Thank you."


	8. chapter 8

Dear Khomeini,

Maybe I'm getting a bit too old for this, but don't worry. I'll make this brief. Jomei and I might have a thing going on. I'm not sure. I really don't want to get between him and his baby's mother.

Ryuu pushes his journal away, removing his glasses to massage the bridge of his nose. 'When did my life become so stressful?' Ryuu sighs when there's a tapping on his window. He turns and sees Jomei. Opening his window, Jomei immediately presses a kiss against Ryuu's lips. "I missed you, my sweet cinnamon roll."

A small blush rises to the shorter male's face. "Why do you call me that? Why are you here? You know my parents probably already know you're here? You could get into trouble." Jomei grins. "Aww. You worried about me, babe?" Ryuu frowns. "What do you want?" Jomei smiles warmly. "You~."

Ryuu scoffs. "You have a girlfriend to get things from, I don't understand why you wish to torture me. You and I both know this can't happen, so why won't you leave me alone?" Jomei frowns. "What? Ryuu we went over this, didn't we? I like you, not her. The fact that she's my baby's mother doesn't mean anything to me." "How do I know you're not lying? How do I know this isn't some cruel joke to you?"

Jomei frowns deeper. "Hey. Don't do that. I thought we talked about this. I don't love her." Ryuu smiles bitterly. "But you liked her enough to have sex with her." Jomei is shocked. He never thought about it like that. "How do I know you aren't going to abandon me too if we have sex?" "I-...Ryuu, I told you that I want to be with you. I'll do anything to prove it."

The shorter male bites his lip, regretting what he's about to say but knowing that it has to be said. "Take care of your family. Leave me out of it. I don't--" He's cut off by Jomei smashing their lips together. The white haired male kisses the Uchiha desperately, panicking when he doesn't kiss back. Ryuu backs away. "Please stop, Jomei-san. Don't make this harder." "Ryuu, I love you! Please don't do this!" Ryuu's eyes fill with tears. "Stop. Please."

The sound of Yoshiko's cries cut through the conversation. "I have to go check on my sister." As Ryuu turns, Jomei grabs his wrist, trying to convey how much he loves the boy, but not sure how to say it. He's about to outright beg, but one look from Ryuu silences him. His eyes are shining with hurt and sadness. "Can I at least have one last kiss before I go?"

Ryuu hesitates, not noticing Jomei leaning in anyways. As soon as their lips connect, Ryuu tries to pull back, but every time he does, Jomei moves closer. "Jomei...please...Jomei, stop...please-" the taller male wouldn't listen and kept going after Ryuu's lips. The door to Ryuu's room opens and, suddenly, Ryuu is free from those addicting kisses.

His breath hitches when he realizes why Jomei stopped. "F-father, I can explain!" Sasuke has his sword to Jomei's throat, glaring harshly into his eyes. "Explain what? Why this pervert attacked you? Or why you let him?" "Father it isn't what it seems! He wasn't attacking me! I swear!" Sasuke brings the blade closer, almost piercing Jomei's skin. "He was forcing himself onto you, and that's unacceptable! I will not stand by and allow some kid to do that to my fucking son! I don't give a fuck if I'm acquainted with his parents!"

Ryuu begins to panic and pull at his hair. "Jomei, please! Defend yourself! Say something!" Jomei just closes his eyes, with a sad smile. "He might as well kill me. We will never be together, as long as that baby is mine. I can't imagine going through life without you anymore. I welcome the punishment I receive for forcing myself onto you."

Ryuu pulls harder, shaking his head. "Don't say it like that! You're making it seem worse than it is!! Dad, please! D-don't do this! This is just really big a misunderstanding!" Sasuke removes the sword, slipping it back into its sheath. "Leave. Hurry up before I change my mind." Jomei bows, not saying another word and leaving the way he came in.

It's been a few weeks since then. Now, if Jomei sees Ryuu anywhere in town, he'll avoid him at all costs. Ryuu decided that it'd be best to just not think about it. He's on his way to meet with Soba for a date, knowing it was a bad idea to let him pick the restaurant. The Uchiha sighs as he stands in front of Ichiraku's. He steps to the side, narrowly avoiding being tackled by Soba.

"Aww! No fair! It's not fun now that you can sense me!" Ryuu smiles a bit, helping the Uzumaki up. Soba pulls the Uchiha closer for a quick kiss to the cheek. "Let's go! I'm starving!" Taking him by the hand, Soba leads Ryuu into Ichiraku's. Mizuki, Ayame's daughter, approaches them as they sit down. "Hey, guys! Are you two on another date?"

Soba nods. "How'd you know?" "You always come here when you're on a date." Ryuu frowns a bit. "She's not wrong." Mizuki smiles sweetly at Soba, talking very intimately with the Uzumaki, completely ignoring Ryuu. The Uchiha frowns deeper, getting up and walking out of the shop, unnoticed by either.

As he makes his way towards his lake, someone runs into him from the side. They both tumble to the floor, while Ryuu silently curses for not paying attention to his surroundings. Sitting up, he gets pushed down once again from someone tripping over them. Groaning, he pushes the people off and notices that it was Jomei and Kaemon. Jomei rubs his head.

"Geez, Kaemon! You made me run into someone!" Kaemon growls. "It wouldn't have happened if you weren't such an idiot! What? You want me to kiss it better?" "The only thing you'll be kissing is my ass!!"

Ryuu sighs, irritated. "That's all well and good, gentlemen, but if you would kindly let me up, that'd be much appreciated."

The two other boys flinch and immediately get up, helping Ryuu up as well. "Sorry!" They spoke simultaneously. Ryuu huffs, still irritated from earlier. "That's quite alright. I wasn't paying much attention either. If you'll excuse me, I'm on my way to the lake."


	9. chapter 9

Khomeini-chan,

The date with Soba was over pretty quickly. I don't understand why he continues to ask me out, only for him to flirt and speak with Mizuki. Really, anyone who wasn't me, he talked to. So, I left. And in doing so, I ran into Jomei and Kaemon. Odd pair. Never thought they'd hang out, but it doesn't surprise me. They've got the same type of personality. I'm currently thinking of giving up on men all together. I might just focus on girls.

-Ryuu

Ryuu's POV

Closing the book, I run my hands through my hair. Maybe I _should_ just go out with a girl. Kotone's been seeing someone else lately, so she's not an option. I'm sure there's going to be some girl who's willing to be with me, and not just for the Uchiha name.

I groan, knowing that I'm probably lying to myself. I feel a hand on my head. "Hey, Ryuu-chan. What's wrong?" "Hey, Fudo. How'd you know where I was?" He pats my forehead, before taking a seat next to me.

"I'm your best friend. I always know where you are! Plus, I kind of saw you walk over here."

That makes me pout a bit, which he laughs at. "Back to my previous question. What's wrong?" I sigh deeply and set my head on his shoulder. "Today has been a total waste. I went on a date with Soba, but he was talking to and flirting with Mizuki, you know, the one from Ichiraku's. I decided to just leave, and I did, without any protest from my so-called "date". Then, I was so lost in thought that I wasn't aware of my surroundings, and I was trampled. Guess who it was?"

"My idiot brother?"

"Not only was it the idiot, but also the jackass!"

"You mean Kaemon was there too?!"

I nod, sadly. "You wouldn't believe how much it hurt when I saw them together. I wish I could just get over him already. He's obviously over me." I feel Fudo pull me closer to him and squish my cheeks with his hands.

"Who could ever get over such a cute face?" I snort and push him away, laughing. "You're such a dork! God!"

He joins my laughter, and we laugh for a good while, before I gain enough willpower and strength to stop and speak. "Thank you, Fudo. I needed that." He smiles teasingly and ruffles my hair. "What am I here for, if not to make you feel better? I'd be a pretty shitty best friend."

I return his teasing smile. "So, you're not?" Fudo scoffs, shoving me away while grinning, causing me to laugh. "Funny. I'll make you pay for that! Hurting my poor fragile feelings." We laugh and chase each other around the lake, much like when we were little. When we were innocent.

No chakra and no jutsu, just innocent fun. After a while, we finally stop running. I set my hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath. This was the most fun I've had, outside of training, in a while. As soon as I catch my breath, I tell Fudo exactly that.

He smiles and leans into me, nudging me with his shoulder. "I'm glad I was able to take your mind off of all those other jackasses." I smile and tackle him in a hug. We laugh even more. I can sense two chakra signatures getting closer. I stay on top of Fudo, as we turn our heads to see who was approaching us.

By the way Fudo was tensing, I could tell he was aware of who they were. Once the two people made their presence known, I finally managed to move to get off. I know I had a look of complete shock and embarrassment across my face.

It soon turned to anger and betrayal not long after. It was Jomei holding hands with Hanae.

My _sister_

I growl and march up to them. I poke a finger at Jomei's chest. "What the fuck do you think you're doing with my sister, you bastard?! You were just with Kaemon not long ago!! How dare you?! Who the fucking hell do you think you are?! What about your fucking girlfriend?! What about your baby?!"

I feel Hanae set her hand on my shoulder, I push it away and turn my glare to her. "And _you_! How could you do this to me?! _You knew_! You _knew_ how I felt for this bastard! You don't care, though, do you?! Does the fact that we're related mean anything to you?!"

I can feel my sharingan activating. I shut my eyes and take a deep breath, suppressing my kekki genkai. Opening my eyes once more, I glare at the both of them. Without another word, I turn and leave them with Fudo.

No POV

Hanae sighs. "Well...that went well." Fudo growls lowly. "What the hell were you two trying to do? Piss him off? Make him relapse into depression?"

The Uchiha glares at Jomei with an underlining sadness. "Jomei had this idea that he dragged _me_ into for some reason." Jomei rubs his face, irritated. "I was trying to make him jealous." Fudo sighs, annoyed.

"First off, don't ever do this shit again. Second, _with his sister?!_ Are you fucking _insane_?! He's not going to get jealous! He's going to feel fucking betrayed! You, at _least_ , should've known that, Hanae! Jomei, I swear if we weren't brothers, I'd kill you! Also, it doesn't matter even if he did get jealous! If you're still with that girl and that girl is still _having a child_ , a child that is _yours_ , he's not going to want to be with you anyways! Idiot!"

Jomei sighs. "I didn't really think about that. I thought he would feel jealous, then I'd sweep him off his feet and everything would be okay." Fudo pinches the bridge of his nose. "This isn't a fucking fairytale, Jomei! Shit like that only happens in stories!"

Jomei rubs the back of his neck, ashamed. "I suppose I should've picked someone other than his sister to do this with, I can see that now. But I'm _trying_! The time away from the little bugger has got my insides all kinds of fucked up. My chest hurts and I feel dizzy when he's not around. It's worse when he _is_ around, but is ignoring my very existence."

Fudo growls under his breath. He hates to admit it, but his idiot brother is very clearly in love with his best friend. He doesn't want to hurt Ryuu by telling him this, but then if he found out for himself he'd hurt more. He growls louder and punches his brother. "Why'd you have to go and knock some chick up, you complete fucking moron?!"

Jomei growls back, as best he could while holding his jaw. "You didn't have to hit me, you asshole." Fudo hits him again, this time in the stomach. Jomei doubles over, wheezing. "You have no right to call me an asshole after the shit you just pulled."

He dusts himself off, glaring down at his brother. "Now, I'm going to go talk to Ryuu and try to get him to calm down." Hanae moves to follow, but is interrupted by Fudo's glare.

"Do you really feel it the best idea to come with me? I'm trying to calm him down, you coming with would only blow him up further."

Hanae frowns, knowing the older was right, but not liking it. "Fine. Please let him know, if you get the chance, that I'm sorry. And that there's nothing going on between me and Jomei." Fudo nods curtly, continuing in the direction his friend left in.


	10. chapter 10

Fudo knew where Ryuu would be, so he went right there. If Ryuu couldn't be found, and he wasn't at the river, he was always there. Fudo looks up at their old tree house and smiles.

"Ryuu-chan? I know you're in there. Would you let down the ladder for me?"

Silence.

"I could just jump up there, but where's the fun in that?"

More silence.

Fudo frowns. Had he been wrong? Is Ryuu not here? "Ryuu-chan, please. I came alone. No one is here with me. I promise." There is a slight rustling, then a ladder slowly makes it's way down the tree. Fudo grabs onto it and slowly climbs up.

Once to the top, he sees Ryuu laying on his back with an arm over his face. Fudo stays silent for a while, slowly pulling the ladder back up. Ryuu sighs, sadly. "What do you want, Fudo-kun?" Fudo smiles a bit. "I just wanted to talk. I wanted to make sure you're okay. I won't talk if you don't want me to."

Ryuu stays silent for a few minutes. Fudo waits patiently, then smiles when the Uchiha waves the hand not coving his face. "Proceed." "How are you doing?" Ryuu stays silent. "Okay, I know how upset you are, but would you allow me to explain what those idiots were trying to accomplish?" Ryuu growls under his breath, but makes no move to stop the man.

"My uh...genius of a brother," Ryuu chuckles. Fudo's smile widens. That's a good sign. "thought it would be a great idea to try to make you jealous. For some strange reason, he thought it best to use your sister for such a thing."

Ryuu shot up, eyes wide and angry. "What?! That's not going to make me jealous! That's going to make me mad! What the hell is his problem?!" Fudo sighs. "I know. That's what I told them. I told Jomei-baka that even if he had picked a different girl, you still wouldn't be jealous. You still wouldn't look twice at him if that girl he got pregnant was still having his child."

Ryuu huffs. "Damn right." "Hanae also wanted me to tell you that she's sorry, and there's nothing going on between her and Jomei." Ryuu rolls his eyes. They sit in silence for a while, then there's a distant flicker of chakra. Ryuu sighs. "Can you tell who's chakra it is? I'm still not very good at that."

Fudo closes his eyes, growling a bit. "It's Jomei. Can you cast genjutsu on him? I'll move him somewhere else." The Uchiha sighs, glaring at the ground. He activates his sharingan and waits for Jomei to get closer. Once he is, Ryuu jumps down, catching Jomei's attention. "Ryuu!"

Jomei runs up and hugs him. "Kami, I've been looking everywhere for you!!" Ryuu's eyes soften, before hardening with a fierce sharingan. Jomei pulls back to look into Ryuu's eyes and he's instantly put under genjutsu. His arms slowly slide off of Ryuu's shoulders and hang limply by his sides. Fudo jumps down and lifts the white haired male over his shoulder, before taking off in a different direction. Ryuu sighs, waiting for his friend to return.

Fudo runs far away from where Ryuu is. As soon as he's far enough, he drops Jomei. The white haired male snaps out of his daze. "Ryuu? Where'd you go? I could've sworn..." he looks up, noticing his brother, "Fudo? I thought Ryuu was here. We were talking and he forgave me. Then we..." Jomei's face turns a bright red. Fudo raises an eyebrow.

Jomei begins fidgeting while grinning like an idiot. "Then we kissed and it was...amazing." Fudo sighs, actually feeling a bit sorry for his brother. "I hate to tell you this bro, but you were asleep." He decided not to mention the genjutsu, fearing Jomei would figure out that Fudo knew where Ryuu was. Jomei sighs. 'It was a dream?'

Fudo frowns. "What...exactly do you feel for Ryuu?" Jomei blushes again. "I...I love him. I can never show him, or rather, I don't know how to show him. He hates me. I know he does. He has to. He deserves so much more than what I give him. I've put him through so much pain just because I'm an idiot."

Fudo sighs. "While you are indeed an idiot, I think you're just going about it wrong. Focus on your baby mama and your child. Ryuu doesn't want to come between that." Jomei laughs bitterly. "I was going to tell him that I found out it's not even my baby." Fudo's eyes widen. "It's not? How do you know?" Jomei sighs.

"We went to get the baby checked out. Turns out it was on the verge of becoming a miscarriage. Tsunade-san said that she needed a blood transfer, because apperently she doesn't have enough blood in her or some shit like that. So she takes some of my blood, but it wasn't a match. Then some random fucking water ninja shows up out of god damn nowhere, claiming to be the father. Tsunade runs the same test on him, and he's a match. Yumi tried to get me to stay, trying to explain, but I wanted nothing more than to get away from her. So I left and immediately started looking for Ryuu."

Fudo pinches the bridge of his nose. What did Ryuu do to deserve all this drama? "I'll talk to him when I see him. Until then, try to keep your distance for a while, okay? I'll let you know when would be a good time to approach him." Jomei nods and smiles weakly. "Thanks, bro."

Jomei is leaving the forest and accidently finds Ryuu before Fudo does. He approaches the smaller male cautiously. "Ryuu??" The Uchiha stiffens, but stops walking. "What do you want?" It was a question, but it was spoken as a statement. Jomei shifts uncomfortably. He's not sure if he should say something or just wait, like his brother said. "Uh...n-nothing. Sorry. I'll leave you alone."

Ryuu starts. Jomei has given up? Does that mean that he doesn't care anymore? Has being rejected so much gotten to him? Ryuu deflates further. "I don't care." Obviously if Jomei doesn't care, Ryuu shouldn't bother himself with caring either. Jomei rubs the back of his neck, self-consciously.

"There's...uh...there's actually a lot of things I would like to talk to you about, but I think I should let Fudo talk to you first. I don't want to make things worse between us. Uh...n-not that there is an us, I just...uh...well, I'll be going now." Ryuu frowns. Maybe it _would_ be best to talk to Fudo first. Thinking about it by himself is making him very confused.

Fudo always knew what to do, and he's never steered him wrong before. Ryuu waits until Jomei leaves, then he begins to cry. For what, he was not sure. If his father would see him, he'd say that Uchihas never cry. He was sure of it. That thought only seems to make him cry harder. After a few minutes, Fudo finally finds him.

"Ryuu-chan?! What happened?!"

Ryuu doesn't answer, still trying to figure that out himself. Was it seeing Jomei? Or was it knowing that Jomei will never be truly his? He'd always belong to Yumi and the child. Jomei would never belong to Ryuu. Ryuu could never be truly Jomei's, not while knowing his heart will wander if someone is good looking enough while he's travelling.

Fudo wraps his arms around the crying Uchiha. "Ryuu-chan, it's okay. It's okay. I've got you." Ryuu buries his face into Fudo's chest. "P-please don't tell my father about this...I don't want him to remember I'm the defective Uchiha." Fudo sighs. He decides not to say anything and just let Ryuu get it off his chest. Fudo feels a familar chakra coming near.

A look down at the male in his arms lets him know that Ryuu hasn't noticed yet. The red haired male scoops him up and jumps into a tree. "Ryuu," he whispers, "someone is coming. Hide your chakra as best you can, and muffle your sounds. It's just a hunch, but I think it's your father."

Ryuu chokes on his tears, before covering his mouth and suppressing his chakra. Fudo jumps down from the tree, just as Sasuke enters the clearing with Yoshiko in his arms. Sasuke stops upon seeing Fudo. "What are you doing out here? Where's my son?"

Before Fudo could make up an excuse, Yoshiko begins crying and reaching towards the tree Ryuu was hiding in. Sasuke follows where she's reaching and soon finds Ryuu, curled up with tears streaming down his face.


	11. chapter 11

Sasuke stares in shock when Ryuu cries harder, trembling uncontrollably. Fudo sighs and jumps onto the branch that holds Ryuu, picking him up and jumping out of the tree. "He's been like this since I found him. He wouldn't tell me why he's crying."

Ryuu buries his face into Fudo's neck, still covering his mouth to muffle his sobs. "Ryuu-chan? What's the matter?" Ryuu, finally calming down, shakes his head. "I don't r-really know. M-maybe it's because I j-just ran into Jomei."

Sasuke's chakra flares. "He's here? Did he do anything to you?" Ryuu shrinks into Fudo. "N-no father, we just talked. Then he left." He explains their entire conversation, Sasuke and Fudo both look relieved, if not irritated. "I told that idiot to wait until I talked to you first. I guess I can't really blame him for finding you first, but still."

After making sure Ryuu was calm, Fudo set him down. "Will you be alright, Ryuu?" The young Uchiha nods and nervously looks to his father. Sasuke doesn't say a word but motions for Ryuu to follow him out of the forest. Not a word was spoken by either male, the only sounds coming from animals and Yoshiko's babbling.

Once they arrive home, Sasuke _finally_ breaks the silence. "Go to the living room and wait." Ryuu flinches but obeys. Sasuke sighs when he's out of earshot. How is he supposed to be a good father when his son is afraid of him? He walks to his bedroom, where he left Hinata to rest.

When he enters the room, he's greeted with a warm smile that shifts into a worried frown when she sees his troubled face. "Welcome back. What's the matter?" Sasuke sighs, putting a sleeping Yoshiko into her crib. "It's Ryuu. I found him in a tree crying about that _boy_ I found in his room a while back. I don't know how to confront or comfort him about this because he just seems afraid of me. Would you mind talking to him?"

Hinata smiles. "I will talk to him, but you're coming with me. He will only think the worst if you only send me to talk to him." Sasuke sighs but follows Hinata back down the stairs, to the living room where Ryuu is fidgeting and twitching with nerves.

Hearing footsteps, Ryuu jerks his head up. Upon seeing his mother, he relaxes a bit. His moment of calm doesn't last long, however, when his father follows closely behind. Sasuke will never admit this out loud, but seeing his son's reaction to his presence...hurts. He thought he was finally getting closer to his son, but that seems to not be the case.

Hinata sits down next to Ryuu and Sasuke stands across from him. Hinata removes Ryuu's glasses and pulls him into her arms so his head is resting on her chest. "What happened?" Ryuu's eyes start to water again, so he buries his face in her neck. "Jomei..." Hinata strokes his hair, encouraging him to continue. Sasuke watches in silent awe and, though it doesn't show on his face, jealousy. Why can his son talk so freely with Hinata but not him?

"He...was trying to make me jealous. H-he found me when I was hanging out with Fudo and...approached me while holding hands with H-Hanae. So I...blew up at both of them and r-ran away. I-it wasn't until l-later that I f-found out that Hanae was just helping him try to make me jealous. Which! Doesn't make any sense! Why would that make me jealous?!"

Hinata shooshes him and continues to stroke his hair. Ryuu sighs. "Even if he weren't to have used Hanae, I still wouldn't have gotten jealous...especially since he has a child on the way." Sasuke frowns, anger boiling in his chest. "He has a what?" How dare that lowlife do this to his son? Hinata shoots him a warning glance, causing him to calm down, but not by much.

She lifts Ryuu's head to meet his eyes, slipping his glasses back onto his face. "Ryuu-kun, look at your father." The young Uchiha flinches slightly, but obeys. "Look at how angry he looks." Sasuke starts, but does well to hide it. What on earth is that woman doing? How is this going to help?

"He's angry because of how this boy hurt you. How he didn't know this was happening to you until now. He is not, however, mad at you. He's upset that you are afraid of him. Upset because even after all these years, you still think he'll be disappointed in you. He asked me to come talk to you because he doesn't want to scare you any more."

Ryuu turns to face his mother again, eyes wide and confused. Hinata smiles and turns to face Sasuke herself, prompting Ryuu to do the same. Their eyes lock and Ryuu forces himself not to look away. For once, he can actually see all the emotions in his father's eyes. The ones that stand out the most are hurt and love.

His father loves him. Of course Ryuu knew that, but actually seeing it is something he never allowed himself to see. Ryuu begins to cry when he realizes that for all these years...he's been hurting his father. Making him seem like a monster, when all he was trying to be was a good father.

Ryuu stands up abruptly, startling Hinata a bit, and rushes to his father to hug him. "I-I'm so...so sorry!" Sasuke's eyes soften and he shoots a thankful look to Hinata before returning his son's hug. "I'm sorry too, Ryuu." Ryuu pulls back. "W-what for?" "Killing that boy." Ryuu buries his face in Sasuke's shirt and laughs. Sasuke chuckles lowly, while Hinata just smiles.

She wonders briefly if Ryuu realizes Sasuke is being serious.


	12. chapter 12

Ryuu takes a deep breath and backs out of his father's arms. "What should I do? I'm just so tired of this." Sasuke sets his hand on Ryuu's head. "You could always let me deal with him. I'll teach that bastard a thing or two." Hinata sends him a look, which Sasuke tries his hardest to ignore. Hinata sighs, before giving Ryuu a gentle smile. "You do whatever you think is right."

Later that week, Ryuu is training with Neji and Itachi, when Jomei approaches them. He doesn't speak at first. Just observes.

Neji and Itachi are standing on either side of Ryuu, each with a sword in hand. Ryuu only had some kunai and a few shuriken. It didn't seem like a fair fight...but that was the point. Since the twins were still learning how to use their swords, Ryuu tried to give them more of an advantage.

That didn't mean he was going to go easy on them. Oh, no. It just meant he'd have to work harder to take them down. Mikoto was there as a spectator. "Okay, boys. Good clean fight. Oh, who am I kidding. We're ninjas. Anything, short of murder, goes. Are y'all ready?" The twins grin at each other. "Ready to take you down, little bro." Ryuu just grins back. "We'll see."

Mikoto raises her hand, counting down on her fingers. "Three. Two. One. Fight!"

The twins charge, Neji a few steps faster than Itachi. Ryuu smirks, knowing the twins' strategy was to distract him with one twin while the other attacked. The youngest Uchiha brother wouldn't fall for it though. He throws out shuriken towards Itachi's legs, successfully stopping him in his tracks.

This gives Ryuu more time to deal with Neji. He throws a kunai at Neji's face, which he blocks with his sword. Ryuu kicks Neji's legs out from under him. He puts his foot on Neji's chest to keep him down and steals his sword just in time for Itachi to make it to him. Ryuu points Neji's stolen sword at Itachi, who stops last second.

Mikoto raises her hand. "Stop! Ryuu is the winner!"

Neji and Itachi both smile warmly. Ryuu helps Neji up, only to be tackled from both sides. "Good job, baby bro! You totally kicked Neji's ass!" "Shut up, idiot. You're the one who was stopped by a few shiriken!" Ryuu and Mikoto laugh at the twins' bickering. The family moment is interrupted, when Ryuu notices Jomei standing near a tree. He sighs, knowing he has to talk to him sooner or later.

"I'll be right back, you guys. This won't take long." The siblings all exchange looks, but no one moves to stop him. Standing in front of Jomei, Ryuu feels numb. Jomei doesn't try to move any closer to Ryuu. He seems reluctant to even speak or look him in the eye. "What is it, Jomei-san?" The white haired boy flinches slightly. "Uh...I just wanted to...well, I needed to talk to you. A-about a few...things."

The Uchiha crosses his arms. "Well? I'm all ears." "First off, I'd like to apologise for everything I've put you through. Especially when I tried to make you jealous, and when I...you know... violated you by the river. I should've stopped. I also want to apologise for that whole...baby drama. I should've handled it better than that. Even if it turns out that child wasn't mine to begin with."

Ryuu jumps. Did he hear correctly? The baby isn't even his? That's...awful. Ryuu can't help but feel sad for Jomei. Jomei seems to be able to sense what Ryuu is thinking, and chuckles quietly.

"God. You're such a good guy. Even after all I did to you, you still feel bad for me." He runs his hand through his hair, irritated with himself. "I...I want to start over. Would you allow me to try again? I promise to take things slow and not pressure you like I did before. We could even just be friends! I'd be okay with that as well!"

The Uchiha sighs, moving his glasses with one hand and rubbing the bridge of his nose with the other. He really shouldn't forgive him so easily. He should make him work for it. Yeah, making him work for it sounds good. "Fine. We can start over. As friends. We'll see if it changes later, but for now...we're friends."

Jomei lets a relived smile cross his face, happy Ryuu isn't just shutting him out. "Thank you. Uh...permission to hug you..?" Ryuu snorts, a smile finally curving his lips. He wraps his arms around Jomei, prompting the white haired male to do the same. "Permission granted." Mikoto sees this, and frowns. "Ryuu! Everything alright down there?" Ryuu releases Jomei, smiling up to his sister. "Yes, everything is okay!"

After that Jomei left, as well as Mikoto, Itachi and Neji. This left Ryuu alone to meditate. Listening to the birds, wind and children. Of course, what kind of life would it be if his meditation wasn't interrupted by one of the most obnoxious people in the village. Ryuu leans to the side as Soba comes soaring through the sky.

He opens an eye in time to see the redhead faceplant. He looks over his shoulder to see Kotone rushing over. "Are you alright, Ryuu-kun?" Before the Uchiha can answer, Soba pops up. "Hey! I'm the one who hit the ground! Why are you asking him?!" They continue to ignore him, as Ryuu gets off the ground. "I'm alright, Kotone-chan. What are you two up to?" She smiles and gives him a brief hug. "Naruto-sama asked us to come get you."

Ryuu raises an eyebrow, but follows them to the hokage's office. When they enter they're met with Naruto grinning at them. "Hey! That was fast!" Soba has a mirrored grin. "Hey dad! What's going on?" The hokage rubs the back of his head, awkwardly. "I uh...I know this is sort of not your level of mission, but I need your help at the school. It's not too serious, so I don't need any jounin, but it's bothersome enough to where genin aren't skilled enough to handle it."

Ryuu and Kotone exchange a glance, while Soba has a bored expression. "Just tell us what it is already, old man!" Naruto sighs, annoyed. Kakashi stands by, smug, hoping Naruto realizes this is how _he_ felt all those years ago. "I need you three to find a potential threat hiding among the students. They've taken a child each day and when the child returns they're unconscious and don't remember anything other than going to class that morning."

Kotone gasps, worriedly. "Are they okay? Were they hurt when they returned?" Naruto looks uncomfortable, which pretty much gives them their answer. "Well, yes. They were injured, but it wasn't anything extreme. Just a few bruises, some had them only on their arms, while others also had them on their faces. It's obvious the children would put up a fight. My guess is that the more they struggled, the more they got hurt."

Kotone covers her mouth in shock, wanting nothing more than for this to be a lie. Ryuu wraps his arm around Kotone to keep her steady. "So, what exactly is our mission, Oji-sama? And when do we start?"

The Hokage sits up straighter in his chair. "If you could be ready by noon that'd be best, but I understand if you need time to process this and think it through. You are more than allowed to decline this mission."

Soba glares at his father. "Why would we decline? We're doing this mission, right guys?"

The Hokage, along with everyone else in the room, turn to face the Uchiha and white haired girl who are now standing up straight with determined looks on their faces. "Absolutely."

Kakashi and Naruto have to hide the proud feeling bubbling up in their chests. Naruto clears his throat.

"Your mission is to disguise yourselves as teachers or students, the choice is yours, and report any and all mysterious or suspicious behavior that you notice. I would prefer if you didn't go around accusing people without evidence. If you decide to disguise yourself as a child then I want you to be careful. If you are targeted, let the others know immediately without alerting the criminal. Understood?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama!"

"Hai, pops!"

"Hai, Oji-sama!"

Naruto grins. "I'm counting on you three."


End file.
